| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Golden Sayings of Epictetus by Epictetus: more they stand in need of treatment.
LXX
--"O! when shall I see Athens and its Acropolis again?"--
Miserable man! art thou not contented with the daily sights that
meet thine eyes? canst thou behold aught greater or nobler than
the Sun, Moon, and Stars; than the outspread Earth and Sea? If
indeed thous apprehendest Him who administers the universe, if
thou bearest Him about within thee, canst thou still hanker after
mere fragments of stone and fine rock? When thou art about to bid
farewell to the Sun and Moon itself, wilt thou sit down and cry
like a child? Why, what didst thou hear, what didst thou learn?
The Golden Sayings of Epictetus |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Daughter of Eve by Honore de Balzac: serfdom.
"Those women were right; there is a great pleasure in being
understood," she said to herself, thinking of her treacherous friends.
When the two lovers had gazed around the theatre with that glance that
takes in everything, they exchanged a look of intelligence. It was for
each as if some celestial dew had refreshed their hearts, burned-up
with expectation.
"I have been here for an hour in purgatory, but now the heavens are
opening," said Raoul's eyes.
"I knew you were waiting, but how could I help it?" replied those of
the countess.
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Danny's Own Story by Don Marquis: into William's breakfast feed.
They was always a row on over them kids, which
they hadn't been till Miss Estelle come. Mrs.
Booth, she said they could kill their own selves,
if they wanted to, him and Miss Estelle, but she
had more right than any one else to say what went
into William's and Margery's digestive ornaments,
and she didn't want 'em brung up scientific nohow,
but jest human. But Miss Estelle's got so she
runs that hull house now, and the perfessor too,
but he don't know it, Biddy says, and her a-saying
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln: We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place
for those who here gave their lives that this nation might live.
It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate. . .we cannot consecrate. . .
we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead,
who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power
to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember,
what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished
work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining
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